Cabinet Applauds as Donald Trump Signs Columbus Day Proclamation: ‘We’re Back, Italians’ [WATCH]

President Donald Trump’s Cabinet erupted in spontaneous applause Thursday afternoon as he signed a proclamation honoring Italian explorer Christopher Columbus ahead of the upcoming federal holiday, as reported by Fox News.

“Today we have your Columbus Day proclamation for Monday, which we’re signing a bit early,” White House staff secretary Will Scharf told the president during the monthly Cabinet meeting.

Scharf described Columbus as “a great Italian explorer” who “sailed his three ships, the Nina, the Pinto, and Santa Maria, across the Atlantic Ocean, and landed in what’s today the Caribbean.”

“This is a particularly important holiday for Italian Americans who celebrate the legacy of Christopher Columbus, and the innovation and explorer zeal that he represented,” Scharf continued.

As Trump signed the proclamation, applause filled the Cabinet Room. “In other words, we’re calling it Columbus Day,” Trump said, drawing more cheers.

“‘We’re back, Italians,’” Trump added with a smile as the applause continued.

“That was the press that broke out in applause,” he joked. “I’ve never seen that happen. The press actually broke out in applause. Good. Columbus Day. We’re back. Columbus Day. We’re back, Italians. We love the Italians.”

President Trump just signed a proclamation bringing back Columbus Day:

“Columbus day—we’re back, Italians!” pic.twitter.com/VFL8iCy0Qf

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 9, 2025

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Columbus Day has been a federal holiday since 1971, following decades of celebration by Italian American communities and recognition from previous presidents. The holiday commemorates Columbus’ 1492 voyage that opened the way for European exploration and settlement of the Americas.

In recent years, activists and some political leaders have pushed to replace the holiday with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, arguing that celebrating Columbus ignores the suffering of Native Americans during colonization.

Dozens of cities and states have renamed or replaced the day, and several Columbus statues were toppled or removed during the 2020 riots.

Among those supporting the change was former Vice President Kamala Harris, who said after Columbus Day in 2021 that Americans should “not shy away” from acknowledging what she called the “shameful past” of European explorers.

“Those explorers ushered in a wave of devastation for Tribal nations — perpetrating violence, stealing land and spreading disease,” Harris said.

“We must not shy away from this shameful past, and we must shed light on it and do everything we can to address the impact of the past on Native communities today.”

Kamala calls Columbus Day part of our “shameful past” that “ushered in a wave of devastation…perpetrating violence, stealing land, and spreading disease.”

This clip is such a stereotype of leftwing woke crazy that I assumed it was AI.

It’s 100% real. pic.twitter.com/SghDtE3Rqx

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) October 14, 2024

In addition to the Columbus Day proclamation, Trump also signed one recognizing Viking explorer Leif Erikson, credited with discovering the coast of Newfoundland in Canada more than 1,000 years ago.

Erikson is considered the first European to set foot on North American soil, predating Columbus by several centuries.

The White House said both proclamations honor the spirit of exploration and discovery that shaped the nation’s founding and cultural heritage.

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